Coordinating Comprehensive App Development

As the technical coordinator for Work Package 4, Xenia Klinge oversees the creation of a multifaceted digital democracy platform:

"In our work package, we will be coordinating the efforts that are creating the digital democracy app. The features that we've outlined so far are really diverse and really cover a lot of bases. For example, there will be possibilities for citizens to propose projects to government agencies or to give feedback to running projects of government agencies."

The primary objective centres on enhancing democratic dialogue:

"So, basically, what we try to do is to really enhance the dialogue between the citizenship and the governmental agencies."

Research-Driven Development Methodology

Xenia outlines a comprehensive research approach that underpins the technical development:

"We have a lot of months ahead of us, with a lot of technical and research work to do. We are trying to gather as much information as possible about the products that already exist, and about the citizens' and the government's expectations, wishes, and requirements for an app like this."

The development process follows a structured timeline with clear milestones:

"And then we'll actually create the app, and then we will pilot the app in two municipalities in Belgium and in Spain [...] to gather results, and to then fine-tune our app blueprint and also the actual app with the results that we find."

Scalability as a Core Design Principle

A crucial aspect of the technical coordination involves ensuring the platform's adaptability across different contexts:

"So first of all, we will try to iteratively design the app that is tailored to the two municipalities that we will be working with in the project. But, of course, scalability will be one aspect that we need to think of at every step of the project."

The blueprint for digital democracy apps considers diverse implementation scenarios:

"So the blueprint of digital democracy apps that will be generated within the work package [...] will take into account that maybe other kinds of municipalities—larger cities, smaller cities—might also take an interest in creating a similar app or that, even beyond municipalities, on a more like country level or governmental level, or even on a EU level, that actors on these levels might also take an interest in the techniques and the features that we develop here."

Living Labs and Iterative Development

The living labs methodology ensures continuous stakeholder engagement throughout the development process:

"The living labs will allow us to get into contact with the actual stakeholders that we're developing this app for. So we will definitely take into account their inputs, and this is where the iterative process of the software development comes into play."

Xenia describes the systematic approach to incorporating feedback:

"We will [...] do research on what their requirements are. Then we will generalise this research into some results that will lead to the blueprint of the app, which will lead to the general first version of the app, and this will be piloted in the two cities that I've talked about."

From Pilot Testing to Final Implementation

The pilot phase serves as a critical testing ground for real-world application:

"And the pilot, of course, will give us a lot of feedback from actual citizens actually using this app, and we will then implement this feedback into a final version for the project and also into a recommendation report about how to maintain such an app, how to scale such an app, and how to commercialize it eventually for other parties to use."

This comprehensive approach ensures that the final product not only meets immediate needs but also provides a sustainable framework for future digital democracy initiatives across Europe. Xenia's technical coordination demonstrates how rigorous software development methodologies can be combined with participatory design principles to create digital tools that genuinely serve democratic purposes, ensuring both technical excellence and practical applicability.

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